For teen job seekers, this summer offers a rosy outlook

Finding two summer jobs came fairly easy for 17-year-old Kyle Ayles.

The recent Great Bridge High School graduate applied at Food Lion online. Within two days, the grocer contacted him for a position. He was hired immediately.

That was the same situation with his other employer, the Chesapeake school division's microfilm office.

"I put an application in, and they got back with me about a week later," he said. "I didn't even have to interview. They just called and said I had the job."

As high schools let out, teenagers will be flocking to employers for seasonal positions. Even with a frayed economy, the job hunt might still turn out well for local teens, observers say.

William Mezger, an economist at the Virginia Employment Commission, said that despite rising fuel and food prices and company cutbacks, summer remains a solid season for youthful job seekers because of the region's tourism and service industries. He said places like Busch Gardens, Water County USA and the Oceanfront offer prime positions.

"The summer job market will be good, but it may not be as good as the past few years," said Mezger, who works in the commission's economic information services division.

In April the jobless rate in Hampton Roads dropped to 3.5 percent from 4.1 percent in March, according to the commission. April's rate remained above the year-earlier level of 2.8 percent. Mezger said the jobless rate for teens was not available.

A big source of new jobs in April was the highly seasonal leisure and hospitality sector, which added 3,600 workers in Hampton Roads, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. May employment numbers have not been released.

James V. Koch, an Old Dominion University economist, said summer employment prospects for teens have diminished because employers don't need as many workers as they once did. Teenage employees, he said, require extra training and supervision and now are more expensive than they used to be.

On July 24, the federal minimum wage, which covers most jobs in Virginia, increases from $5.85 to $6.55 per hour. In July 2009, the rate will rise to $7.25.

"The regional economy still is doing reasonably well," Koch said of the hiring picture. "And therefore, we are not talking about a disaster."

Tristian Denson, shift manager at Rita's in Virginia Beach, said the ice treats and custard shop always looks to hire teenagers because of their energy and personalities.

"The teens have a lot of ambition and are always excited," said Denson, who is 17. "It makes people want to see them, and it makes people want to come back here."

So far, Rita's has hired 15 teenagers this summer for its location at Fairfield Shopping Center. It plans to higher several more.

Cody Kloock, 17, who will graduate from Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach on Sunday, said he hasn't been so lucky in his job search. He's applied to Rita's, and as of Friday afternoon he was still waiting to hear. He thinks he is limited to where he can work because he has a beard that he is not willing to cut just yet.

Kloock's preference is working at a store such as Best Buy or Circuit City. Some employers, he explained, "said if I shave, I can have the job."

Ayles, on the other hand, said he's grateful for his two jobs. He'll be earning $6.25 an hour from his Food Lion gig and $9.80 an hour at his school division position.

He plans on saving up for Tidewater Community College, at which he starts in the fall.

Jennifer Jiggetts, (757) 446-2643, jennifer.jiggetts@pilotonline.com